Senior Manager, Global Hospitality & Experiences

Churchill Downs Racetrack ("CDRT"), the world's most legendary racetrack, has been the home of The Kentucky Derby, the longest continually held annual sporting event in the United States, since 1875. Located in Louisville, CDRT features a series of themed race days during Derby Week, including the Kentucky Oaks, and conducts Thoroughbred horse racing during three race meets in the Spring, September and Fall. CDRT is located on 175 acres and has a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, a stabling area, and provides seating for approximately 60,000 guests. The stable area has barns sufficient to accommodate 1,400 horses and a 114-room dormitory for backstretch personnel. CDRT also has a year-round simulcast wagering facility .

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Manager, Global Hospitality & Experiences is responsible for the end-to-end procurement, planning, fulfillment, and service delivery of onsite and destination-based amenities for the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs. This role oversees the sourcing, contracting, and execution of premium (both domestic and international) guest experiences including hotels, ground transportation, dining reservations, horse farm tours, bourbon tours, and other curated local attractions.

In addition to leading high-touch hospitality offerings, this role owns broader service-related operations that support the full customer base, ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery across all guest segments. The Senior Manager serves as the operational owner of the premium guest experience supply chain, balancing premium service standards, scalability, fiscal discipline, and operational excellence. This role (or their delegate) will serve as the primary point of contact for VIP guests upon their arrival at Churchill Downs. The ideal candidate should possess the ability to anticipate, respond to, and consistently meet or exceed the needs of visiting guests.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy & Planning

• Develop and execute the hospitality and guest services strategy aligned with event objectives, brand standards, and customer expectations across all segments
• Establish scalable VIP service frameworks that deliver a complete, A-to-Z experience for premium guests
• Design scalable service models that support premium guest experiences
• Partner with sponsorship, marketing, and operations teams to align hospitality and service offerings with sales, ticketing, and sponsorship commitments

Procurement & Vendor Management

• Source, evaluate, and negotiate contracts with hotels, transportation providers, restaurants, tour operators, attractions, and service vendors
• Own supplier relationships, pricing structures, service level agreements, and capacity planning
• Ensure vendors meet defined service, operational, and brand standards for all customer tiers

Fulfillment & Event Execution

• Oversee end-to-end fulfillment of hospitality amenities and guest services before, during, and after the event
• Lead on-site execution, escalation management, and real-time issue resolution impacting guest experience
• Develop contingency and staffing plans to mitigate operational risks and service disruptions

General Guest Services & Customer Support

• Provide operational leadership for general service functions supporting the full customer base, including guest assistance, service desks, and experience coordination
• Partner with customer service, CRM, and call center teams to ensure alignment between pre-event communications and on-site service delivery
• Establish service workflows, escalation paths, and resolution standards for guest inquiries and issues
• Use guest feedback, service data, and post-event insights to improve service processes and reduce friction

Budget & Financial Management

• Own the hospitality and guest services budget including forecasting, cost controls, and reconciliation
• Balance premium experience delivery with scalable, cost-effective service solutions
• Identify opportunities for operational efficiencies and vendor optimization

Guest Experience & Quality Assurance

• Define and maintain service standards across hospitality offerings and premium guest services
• Monitor performance through guest feedback, service metrics, incident tracking, and vendor reporting
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance satisfaction across all customer segments

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, develop, and support internal hospitality and guest services teams along with external partners
• Collaborate closely with sales, marketing, operations, legal, finance, and customer service teams as well as the corporate office leadership team
• Serve as a key operational liaison for senior leadership, internal stakeholders, and external partners

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Operational leadership and execution excellence
• Customer-centric service design
• Vendor and stakeholder management
• Financial discipline and planning
• Problem-solving and escalation management
• Clear communication and team leadership

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• 5-8+ years of experience in hospitality operations, event management, guest services, or experiential operations
• Proven experience managing large-scale events with both premium and general audience components
• Strong negotiation, vendor management, and contract oversight experience
• Demonstrated budget ownership and financial acumen
• Experience in integrating service operations with customer support or CRM functions preferred
• Ability to lead under pressure in fast-paced, live-event environments

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS

• The employee will be required to sit for extended periods of time
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may also be required to stand: walk; use hands to finger reach, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear.
• The employee may be asked to occasionally lift up to 20 lbs.
• The employee may be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays
• The noise level in the work environment is moderate

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.

Work With Us

Churchill Downs Incorporated is an inclusive and fun place to work. We celebrate unique approaches and points of view. We believe diversity is a mindset that drives excellence. We're always learning, evolving and growing. We innovate through mutual respect of ideas and collaboration. This allows us to build a common language that inspires our team members and propels us toward the achievement of our vision.

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